Bluebird Gap Farm's playground gets a makeover

HAMPTON— — Bluebird Gap Farm's playground area got a new look last week.

New playground equipment, border and mulch were installed to make a bigger, brighter play area.

"With all this brand new equipment, it's bright and shiny red like our barn," Seward said. "It's very eye-catching."

The new equipment is bright red with panels on it with large Xs that look like little barn doors. It matches the facility's playhouse.

The play area's largest piece of equipment was more than 15 years old, which is the safe life span for such things, said Farm Manager Jim Seward.

"So we are putting up replacement stuff, and it's newer and bigger and better and brightly colored like the farm and everything," Seward said Jan. 9 as work was ongoing. "It's looking good."

The new equipment is several feet taller than the old, which is making a big difference. The new piece is at least 18 feet tall at its highest point, as compared to 15 or 16 feet at most for the old one, Seward said.

It features three different sets of slides, a rock climbing wall, a "tornado" slide that has two turns, several play stations where kids can spin things, a crawl through tunnel, climbing ladders and other apparatus for climbing.

The new tornado slide is two feet taller than the last one.

The old swing set was completely replaced. It is now upgraded from four swings to six.

Mid-Eastern Construction did the work, which was funded by the city of Hampton, Seward said. The cost was $50,000, according to city officials.

The new playground is part of ongoing improvements at the farm that will soon include the larger project of relocating its main entrance, Seward said. Preliminary work is taking place that will eventually move the farm's entrance to directly across from the side entrance to Bass Pro Shops, and the old entrance will be closed off.

Currently new gutters are being installed on the restrooms and new cages for doves are being built at the 60-acre farm that has about 150 domestic and wild animals.

"We are constantly trying to improve and replace things," Seward said. "The farm is 45 or 46 years old, so it's a constant upgrade and repair and replace type of thing out here. A lot of painting, fence replacement, things like that.

"A lot of minor stuff goes on all the time."

Bluebird Gap Farm

Bluebird Gap Farm is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed Monday and Tuesday. Admission is free. The farm is located at 60 Pine Chapel Rd., Hampton. The phone number is 827-2765.

More online

To see a video of the new playground at Bluebird Gap Farm, go to dailypress.com.